Well I told you other day that I failed again from the reverse 
So here is the thing, I have been driving an arctic at work since last Monday apart from test day. My instructor said my level of forward driving is more then acceptable to pass on a road drive and since then I am much more confident and at ease driving in any situation as I have been getting more road time. Now my reverse was always the big mental problem and it really must of been a fluke that I did it on my first test with no problems considering how badly I messed up my reverse on the re-test 
Now I am being taken off the arctic as a lad is on holiday till a week on Monday and I am on a 12 tonner till then(all be it a brand new one we picked up Saturday) ffs it is the size of a 7.5 tonner 
So I can re-test on 19th Dec with Coates and I will drive to Lester(thanks Rob I knew it made sense but am still not happy at having to do it) to ensure I get maximum time on the reversing park at Hinckley rugby club. Now I am gonna find somewhere to go with the artic at work(which is Merc Actross mega space auto, and one I learn in is Atego day cab) and wondered if you guys can tell me if it will benefit me spending maybe 8 total hours reversing in my “to be” artic before the test considering I will have 4 hours to get back used to the training vehicle?
I am feeling so down still after failing, and driving round with an agency lad knowing that I should be on my own isn’t helping. I love driving the big ones now and tomorrow morning is gonna be a MAAAASIVE comedown from being in an artic for last week and I worry that by time test will come round in 3 weeks that I will be in mind set I am already failed a la last two times
Any advice on how to not get like this and while I have the chance to drive an arctic what can I do to ensure the next time I nail it 
OllieNotts:
. Now I am gonna find somewhere to go with the artic at work(which is Merc Actross mega space auto, and one I learn in is Atego day cab) and wondered if you guys can tell me if it will benefit me spending maybe 8 total hours reversing in my “to be” artic before the test considering I will have 4 hours to get back used to the training vehicle?
If you have the chance to do some reversing in any sort of artic it WILL benefit you greatly - you [ZB] lucky sod.
The fact that it is a different type of artic will make no difference as the principals are exactly the same.
Remember that you do not need to keep practicing the test reverse set up - in fact you are better to only do that now and again during your practicing.
Find out what happens if you do this or that - get yourself in a mess and then get yourself out of it.
Once it ‘clicks’ it will not matter what you are doing - a test exercise or whatever - you will be able to work it out.
Fast thinking - slow controls - EVERY TIME
I have been reversing though, and found out that in fact I am USELESS
Hopefully now I have 3 and a bit weeks I can really prep up and they keep the job open for me otherwise it will br £1700 down the drain!
This may ‘cheer’ you up a bit.
My Artic Tests:- 1st failed for reversing too far back and knocking over the Barrier, 2nd Test failed for squashing the middle cone completely, 3rd Test failed for taking THREE shunts, 4th Test failed for Poor Observation and 5th Test passed. Total cost, Ooooo around 5K…
I wonder why I ain’t got a job yet
prior to the test i could never do the reverse
school said i wont pass
but when i got to the test centre the reverse was easier due to it being a big flat site
after you have done that s shaped manover. look were your back cones are then pull forwards and you just put in a couple of shunts. On my lessons i was allways attempting to get it in one go which was wrong
And buy one of them artic toys for £5 to simulate your position
OllieNotts:
I have been reversing though, and found out that in fact I am USELESS
Is it the actual controls that you are having probs with or the thinking bit 
(I’ll bet it’s the latter)
Can you do a straight line reverse for about 5 artic lengths and do minor adjustments as you do it
Hey mate,
You are not useless as you have already passed your Class C which not everybody has
As Rog has said before you start reversing THINK first!
THINK where you want the trailer to go and then THINK how you are going to get it there! And then keep practicing until you are happy with it, use a Dinky Toy if you need to.
In my current job I don’t do as much reversing as I used to do, but when I do I am better than I used to be (less shunts) as I THINK first 
Good luck!
Thanks for eplies gents, I am useless at getting the knack for reversing as I know I am going to fast but my head gets in a complete mess and I ■■■■ it up Now the test I wanted was took by someone else to so I have no idea when I am gonna do it now I am getting really eff’d off with the whole thing and feel like jacking in Especially as they have got an agency lad in to my job now so I am not sure if there will even be a job after I get myself into massive debt getting the class one
All in all not a good 2 weeks for me now and cant bear the agony waiting I need it now lol!
ROG:
Can you do a straight line reverse for about 5 artic lengths and do minor adjustments as you do it
Missed that sorry, yes I can that is not a problem, I get messed up when trailor is at an angle and needs straightening up or even reversing the turn I actually want.
OllieNotts:
Missed that sorry, yes I can that is not a problem, I get messed up when trailor is at an angle and needs straightening up or even reversing the turn I actually want.
Excellent - as you can do a straight line reverse and can make minor adjustments tto the slight kinking that happens so as to maintain it, the principal is exactly the same for a bigger kink in the trailer.
When the trailer kinks on the above you look in the mirrors and adjust accordingly - that is exactly the way you correct it for getting a bigger kink out of the trailer.
Until both mirrors see exactly the same amount of trailer, it is still bending 
The only way you know exactly where you are is to have both mirrors seeing the same amount of trailer with all the wheels (unit & trailer) in line.
If bent & wanting to straighten - whichever mirror that the trailer is in, turn the steering wheel to that mirror and watch both mirrors until they see the same amount of trailer and keep them seeing the same to keep straight.
ROG:
OllieNotts:
Missed that sorry, yes I can that is not a problem, I get messed up when trailor is at an angle and needs straightening up or even reversing the turn I actually want.Excellent - as you can do a straight line reverse and can make minor adjustments tto the slight kinking that happens so as to maintain it, the principal is exactly the same for a bigger kink in the trailer.
When the trailer kinks on the above you look in the mirrors and adjust accordingly - that is exactly the way you correct it for getting a bigger kink out of the trailer.
Until both mirrors see exactly the same amount of trailer, it is still bending
The only way you know exactly where you are is to have both mirrors seeing the same amount of trailer with all the wheels (unit & trailer) in line.
If bent & wanting to straighten - whichever mirror that the trailer is in, turn the steering wheel to that mirror and watch both mirrors until they see the same amount of trailer and keep them seeing the same to keep straight.
And then comes the oh “zb” I have left it too long or not enough and I am up said zb creek with a paddle and my brain goes into melt down 
Surely this will go away with more and more practise?
OllieNotts:
ROG:
OllieNotts:
Missed that sorry, yes I can that is not a problem, I get messed up when trailor is at an angle and needs straightening up or even reversing the turn I actually want.Excellent - as you can do a straight line reverse and can make minor adjustments tto the slight kinking that happens so as to maintain it, the principal is exactly the same for a bigger kink in the trailer.
When the trailer kinks on the above you look in the mirrors and adjust accordingly - that is exactly the way you correct it for getting a bigger kink out of the trailer.
Until both mirrors see exactly the same amount of trailer, it is still bending
The only way you know exactly where you are is to have both mirrors seeing the same amount of trailer with all the wheels (unit & trailer) in line.
If bent & wanting to straighten - whichever mirror that the trailer is in, turn the steering wheel to that mirror and watch both mirrors until they see the same amount of trailer and keep them seeing the same to keep straight.
And then comes the oh “zb” I have left it too long or not enough and I am up said zb creek with a paddle and my brain goes into melt down
It will click soon - keep trying but keep calm so the brain stays frosty
Ok, the biggest tip for the artic reverse is this:
Do not expect to be able to do it the same way every time, it will be different every single time you do it.
Remember it’s supposed to be this way. A difference of 2 feet either way in where you turn the wheel may not sound like much, but it’s enough to make a huge difference in where the trailer ends up. Just relax, and keep going, and if you take a shunt because it looks like it’s all going wrong, don’t do a pansy little one and waste it, pull it forwards far enough to get the whole thing straight, then work out how to get in from where you are.
You are allowed 2 shunts to get it right. Get the trailer round, and get the trailer wheels near the line you want to go straight back into the box, pull forwards, get it straight as lined up with the box as you can in the space, then straight back. You then have one shunt spare if you need to correct before entering the box.
Right test booked for 16th Dec 
Training 3 hours sat, 4 hours sat after and then then the monday and test tuesday. Going with a local guy called Ian Marwick so hope this time I will get more reversing for my money as he is 5 mins from Langer airfield. He is also gonna take me on all the horrid bends and turns on test routes so I am prepared more then when coates took me.
Been told other day the job offer is being taken away if I fail again and they have an agency driver waiting to take it Then I wont have a truck at work and the 18 tonne driver will be back and my current 12 tonne truck will be gone and no work for me so I might get laid off
All in all my livelyhood is riding on this test now so no pressure
Good luck Ollie 
yeah good luck